Somewhere in the jungles of the South Pacific, a man fights. As you read this, he is in danger of being killed by the Abu Sawai insurgents of the Muslim region of the Philippines. He is an American naval officer, a husband, a father of five and he is my uncle. Today, he fights terrorism in the land of my ancestors so that you can be free. Yes, you. It doesn’t matter if you’re an American citizen, right now you are being protected by men and women like my uncle. He cares about your rights and he wants you to be free. But do you care, Andover, that at any moment of any day, somewhere a soldier fights for you? Does it mean anything to you that he could be leaving behind three sons, two daughters and one niece whom you pass on the path everyday? I hope it means something. I hope that the administration’s decision to ignore Memorial Day does not represent the general will of our community; but I have little reason to believe that, despite the notably liberal atmosphere of this campus, we are a school that is proud of the United States. We are an international community, but our campus stands upon American soil. Our liberties as a school and as individuals are assured by the United States constitution and defended by American troops. It is entirely appropriate for any and all members of this community to celebrate Memorial Day. Yet, for reasons unknown, Andover does not require its students to attend a Memorial Day service. In fact, Andover does not hold a service on Memorial Day. Andover does not celebrate Memorial Day as a national holiday. And when Andover does bring mention of Memorial Day to an ASM, it is in the form of anti-war poetry. It is one thing to lack patriotism. It is quite another to lack gratitude. On Martin Luther King Day, classes are called off. A special ASM speaker is brought in, and required workshops take place on campus. We even enjoy a special dinner in UnCommons. On Memorial Day, classes go on uninterrupted. No special speakers are brought to campus; there are no required services. There is no special dinner; there isn’t even a Blackboard announcement. Dr. King gave his life for our freedom. The men and women of the Armed Forces risk their lives everyday for our freedoms. Why not honor both? What, exactly, are we so afraid of? Why are we so scared of recognizing 9/11 or Memorial Day? I ask, once more, the question I raised at the beginning of the school year. Is Phillips Academy ashamed of America? Or simply ignorant? I wish I could make you appreciate the freedoms we take for granted, like the freedom to ignore national holidays, the freedom to “boo” when a speaker mentions George W. Bush, the freedom to spew snide anti-war comments at an All-School Meeting. I wish I could explain the feeling I get in my throat when I find our troops set aside, when our administration doesn’t deem Memorial Day worthy of even a regular, mandatory All- School Meeting. I wish I could express in words what it feels like to hear that your uncle has been deployed to Iraq for a second time. I wish I could open your eyes to the significance of our troops. I wish I could make you grateful. Whether or not you support our troops, they support and protect you. I, for one, salute and thank all of them. God bless America. Jenn Schaffer is a two-year Lower from Bolingbrook, Ill. jschaffer@andover.edu